Lightning rod demonstrator



Dec 19, 1961 w. U. AKERMAN LIGHTNING Ron DEMoNsTRAToR Filed Sept. 6,1960 FIG. 3

IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,013,347 LIGHTNING RGD DEMONSTRATOR Walter U.Alterman, 400 6th St., Dover, NH. Filed Sept. 6, 1960, Ser. No. 53,941 3Claims. (Cl. 35-19) This invention comprises a novel demonstrator forlightning rod salesmen by the use of which prospective f customers maybe shown in a striking manner the dangers from lightning to which anunprotected house and its occupants are subjected and the protectionaorded by properly installed lightning rods.

It is important that such a demonstrator should be compact, easilyportable and of light weight and also capable of being plugged in onrural service circuits in the territory covered by the salesman. Allthese requirements are to be found in the demonstrator of my inventionwhich is characterized by an underlying ground plate having a miniaturehouse standing thereon which is wired from the roof to provide sparkgaps for different phases of the demonstrator. These, for example, mayinclude one or more figures located inside the house or closely adjacentthereto and wired so that a high voltage discharge to the roof of thehouse will appear as a spark passing to the figures. As another phase ofthe demonstration an inammable pad may be placed in one of the sparkgaps and ignited by discharge to the roof.

The inadequacy of an antenna to protect the house and the completeprotection of my lightning rod system may also be shown by placing anantenna on the roof of the house with and without a lightning rod thatmay be inserted or removed during the demonstration to illustrate itsaction and effect.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood andappreciated from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a View in front elevation showing a lightning rod installedupon the house,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of one end of the roof of the house,

FIG. 3 is a View corresponding to FIG. l but with the lightning rodomitted, and

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the house in cross section.

As herein shown the demonstrator includes an underlying metallic groundplate and upon this stands an open front miniature house 11 having apitched roof 12. On the inner surface of the roof are placed a pair ofspaced apart metallic plates or foils 13 and 14 and these are bentupwardly forming a flange that extends to the .ridge of the roof but isthere visible only as a line. From the plate 13 extends a branch 15merging into a strip 16 that extends down the inside wall of theminiature house and terminates in a sharp point. Standing within thehouse adjacent to this wall are the iigures of a woman 17 and a man 18and in the figure of the woman is included a transverse wire 17'terminating adjacent to the end of a wire 18 concealed in the lfigure ofthe man and extending through the floor of the house where it isgrounded upon the plate `10. The circuit is such that a spark gap isformed between the lower end of the strip 16 and the Womans left elbowand also between the right hand of the woman and the left hand of theman.

A small hole is formed in the right hand wall of the house adjacent tothe lower end of the strip 16. Outside the house stands the figure of ahorse 19 and in this figure is concealed a wire 19 terminating near thehole 2l) and passing through one of the horses legs to a -ground iceconnection with the plate 10. It will be seen that a spark gap is thusformed between the lower end of the strip 16 and the horses head.

A hole Z1 is formed near one end of the roof slightly to one side of itsridge and close to the metallic foil or plate 15. This hole is for thereception of an antenna 22 which may be placed as seen in FIG. 3 orremoved during the demonstration.

A hole 23 is formed in the ridge of the roof adjacent to each endthereof for the reception of the removable lightning rod 24. Thiscomprises two upright legs which are grounded at their lower ends on theplate 10 and connected at their upper ends by a horizontal tie section.This lightning rod may be easily placed as shown in FlG. l or removed asshown in FIG. 3.

The rooting end plate or foil 14 is connected with a metallic strip 25secured to the inner left hand wall of the miniature house andterminating in a sharp point. A block 26 is secured to the floor of thehouse and provided with a metallic spike Z7 which is grounded at itslower end upon the plate 10 and its upper end forms a spark gap with thestrip 2S. In this spark gap may be placed a pad 28 of textile materialsaturated with inflammable liquid such as lighter fuel.

The demonstrator is completed by a high voltage transformer 30 which maybe plugged into any service outlet and is then capable of discharging ahigh voltage spark to the lightning rod 24 or the antenna 22 assuggested in FIGS. l and 3. The transformer 30 is a well known articleof commerce and may be readily secured in the open market.

In carrying out the demonstration a high voltage spark may be dischargedupon the antenna 22 or at any point along the ridge of the roof adjacentto the edge of the plates 14 or 15. Under these circumstances theelectrocution of the man 18, the woman 17 and the horse 19 isgraphically shown by heavy sparks formed at the spark gaps as indicated.The fallacy of depending upon antenna for lightning protection is thusdemonstrated. Now, when the lightning rod 24 is installed as shown inFIG. lJ all discharges from the transformer 30 pass directly to theground plate 1) without touching the figures.

A striking phase of the demonstration may be performed by placing aninflammable pad 2S between the lower end of the strip 25 and the spike27 and then discharging a high voltage spark to the roof of the houseadjacent to the plate 14. Under these circumstances the spark `formedinstantly ignites the pad 2S, creating an ominous blaze as suggested inFIG. 3. This occurrence is also avoided when the lightning rod is inplace as suggested in FIG. l.

In one satisfactory embodiment of the invention the miniature house is 8x 5 inches in ground plan and stands about 6 inches in height. Themetallic ground plate is approximately 13 x 6 inches and has sufiicientcapacity to absorb and dissipate any charge used in the demonstrationwithout additional ground connections.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that an effectivedemonstrator has been provided at low cost providing ideal equipment forits intended purpose.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail anillustrative embodiment thereof I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

l. A lightning rod demonstrator comprising an underlying ground plate ofmetal, an open front miniature house standing on said plate and havingan electro-conductive member concealed in its roof, a branch of saidmember running. part way down one side wall of the house, and a figurestanding in the house adjacent to said branch and having anelectro-conductive connection with said ground plate.

2. A lightning rod demonstretor as described in clairn 1, furthercharacterized in that two separate electro-conductive members areconcealed in the roof of the house and these have branches upon theinner surfaces of the opposite side walls of the house, which brancheslead into close proximityl to different located objects havingelectroeconductive connection with the ground plate.

3. A lightning rod demonstrator comprising an underlying ground plate, aminiature house standing thereon and having a roof with anelectro-conductive circuit and an apertured side Wall on which thecircuit extends, and an animal figure having an eleotro-conductiveconnection d with the ground plate outside the house and adjacent to theaperture of the side Wall.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Dodd etal. Apr. 4, 1899 Simpson June 28, 1904 OTHER REFERENCES

